"This time, you'll be completing the mission with a new partner," the man at the far end of the table said, a thin smile playing on his lips that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Her name is Vely Haliant. She’s my superior's daughter, and she’s highly reliable."
I glanced at the woman beside him. She stood rigid, smaller in stature than the Boss, but her gaze was fixed straight ahead as if she were staring right through the wall. No movement, no emotion. The moment our eyes met, her brows knitted together.
"You won't be a dead weight, will you?" I asked.
Instead of a friendly reply, the corners of her mouth curled downward. "I’m far more capable than you think."
"Explain the mission," I cut in.
"A difficult one," the Boss said, interlacing his fingers. "But seemingly nothing the 'Cleaner' can’t handle. You’re to sanitize a corporate office building that’s been trending for all the wrong reasons lately. The new owner is Lenshin Dioper—a two-faced brat more preoccupied with women than business."
I let out a long sigh. "Troublesome."
"Just do it. There’s a bonus involved, and I’ll overlook the pay cut for your tardiness this morning," the Boss tilted his head, his eyes demanding a deal.
"Fine. As long as I get what I need."
That’s just how it works on this planet. They kill for ambition, then embrace for convenience. I stepped out of the room, which was thick with the stench of intimidation, followed by the woman... what was her name again? Pel? Ah, whatever. As long as she’s useful.
Blue lines along the corridor walls pulsed as we walked. I could feel her gaze stabbing into my back. Every time I caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of my eye, her brow was furrowed. I clenched my fists, trying to steady a breath that was starting to fray.
We stopped in front of a room marked with a garment icon. Inside, I found my locker. A brown suit with fine black pinstripes was waiting. On the locker door, a screen flickered to life, displaying a gallery of faces. I picked one, and instantly, the skin of my face shifted, reconfiguring itself to match the digital template.
In the next stall, my new partner was also gearing up. When I stepped out, black briefcase in hand, she was already waiting with a sour expression.
"You’re slowing down the mission," she said without looking at me, turning sharply toward the elevators.
Our footsteps echoed rapidly down the hall. As the elevator doors slid open, I stepped in first. Vely followed, her breath coming in short huffs like an engine being pushed too hard. But just as the doors were about to hiss shut, a withered hand caught them.
An old man stepped in. His skin was a roadmap of deep wrinkles, his hair almost entirely white, and his grey eyes looked dim. He was hunched, trembling over a wooden cane. He flashed me a smile—a strange, unsettling curve of the lips—and Vely acknowledged him with a curt nod.
The lift began its descent. The gravitational pull spiked suddenly, pressing against my chest. Vely immediately white-knuckled the metal handrail, eyes squeezed shut and forehead creased against the nausea. But the old man beside me? He stood perfectly upright. His wrinkled skin fluttered slightly in the AC draft, but his body remained static, like a statue bolted to the bed of a speeding truck.
The elevator chimed open. The sudden stop sent Vely stumbling, nearly hitting the floor, while the old man remained motionless.
I glanced at my watch. "There’s still time."
I broke into a light jog through the subterranean corridor. However, the jolting began to wreck my internal rhythm. My head throbbed. My vision blurred, and my stomach suddenly roared as if a thousand needles were stabbing my gut.
Damn that bread.
My stomach acid was surging. This human body is always demanding more, even after I thought I’d tamed it. My neutralizing meds were back at the apartment. Jindan really screwed me over this morning. I squeezed my lower abdomen, and with a sharp flick, my fingernail elongated slightly—forming a natural needle, and injected a shot of green fluid directly into my vein.
Thump. The pain receded slowly. A heavy slap landed on my back, jarring me upright. I instinctively whipped my sharp claw backward, nearly grazing Vely’s face.
"You’re wasting time. Why are you just standing here?" she snapped.
I didn't answer. I strode toward the reception desk, snatched the car keys that had been laid out, and hurried to the parking garage. Behind me, the click of Vely’s heels trailed relentlessly.
I stopped. Scanned the surroundings for a second. Took a deep breath, then let it out completely.
I clicked the remote. A double beep greeted me from a sleek black car with a long hood, the typical chariot of a corporate shark.
Just as I reached for the door handle, a raspy, unfamiliar female voice stopped me cold.
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